Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1887-05-05
Onn,unicdted.
AsHEvILLE, BUYcoMBE Co., n. c.,

Iack of interest in the speech he was max
inc. he politely excused his fellow members
Of the House from listening, by remarking,
II am talking for Buncombe," meaning his
constituents in Buncombe county.
Asheville, the town from which | write, Is
the county seat of Buncombe county, and
the metropolis of Western North Carolina.
on all sides as it is with lofty
mountains and with an elevation OF 22,959
feet, it very Justly lays claim to the pleas,
antly suggestive names OF The Lana OF
the Sky" "Skyland," etc. This nearness to
the clouds and to the sun gives 1t the charm
of climate that is now becoming so well
known and appreciated by thousands of
tourists, and by many invalids who, while
the fine scenery, regain strength
in the pure, dry mountain air and bright
sunlight. As far as the eye can reach, one
is rewarded by extended and beautiful
mountain views lying off in graceful out
lines upon the horizon. Oftentlmes their
mountain SUBMITS are covered with clouds
and lost to view in their majestic hlghness,
carrying the thoughts with them heaven
ward. Seen on one of these gracious April
mornings, aglow with the clear sunlight,
the soft purple tints that these mountains
seem to wear as a becoming veil fall into
a harmonious background. One, to be sure,
misses the sublime grandeur of the White
Mountains and the pastoral picturesqueness
of the Swiss Alps and of portions of North
England and Scotland in looking upon other
views, yet they wear beauty peculiarly
their own, constituting picture that will
be remembered long with great pleasure.
In the long ago this ''Skyland" as the rest
of our country was disputed with the orig
inal owners. The powerful tribe of the
Cherokee Indians dwelt and roamed among
these hills. In 1885 by a treaty of exchange
the larger portion of this tribe moved west
of the Mississippi River A part remained
in North Carolina and their descendants
still live in some of the mountain counties.
They are most numerous in the SOco Valley.
They have a little government of their
own, with council, executive advisers and
salaried chief who receives 5000 year
for his services. They have abandoned the
primitive Indian dress with the exception
of the moccasins-nOw wearing the less
picturesque dress of the whites which they
manufacture for themselves. They have
their schools, and their children receive a
common education. Their language is said
to be incapable of expressing wittlclsm,
and so they never joke and rarely laugh.
They are so relgiously inclined that no one
is allowed to hold office among them who
does not believe in God or great spirit.
The Moravians and other churches have
worked among them with good results. 1t
is not an unusual thing to see some Of these
Cherokees on the streets of Asheville. Ge-
ologists claim that in one of these North
Carolina mountain peaks they have discoy-
cred the oldest mountain known, c. speak
ing from the biologists standpoint, 1t is OF
the earliest formations belonging to the Ar
chaean age. Hence they have given it the
not inappropriate name of Grandfather.
To see and know these mountains in their
grandeur of course it is best to take long
mountain jaunts to the many places of rare
beauty and wildness, some of them places
of historic interest and of legend and song.
But time is limited and | shall have to be
content with hearing only of points aiar.
Mt. Mitchell, the lofty rival of Mt. Wash
ington. lies northward of Asheville. Grand
and imposing in its dark mantle of the
Balsam, it appears to guard with Its com
handing presence over vast area OF peaks
and ranges. 4 noble monument, indeed, 1t
is to the explorer, Dr. Mitchell, who lost
his life measuring its wild, rocky incines,
and who is now sleeping his long sleep upon
its crest. For awhile Prof. Mitchell was
buried in Ashevile, but later was inferred
bv friends and admirers upon the top OF
the tall peak that bears his name-a resting
place so remote that the silence is little dis
turbed by human voices and broken only
by the soft wailing requiem of the sOugh-
ing winds among the pines. Just now
celebrated huntsman known as big Tom
Wilson," who has killed his 100 bears is
visiting Ashevile and is much lioniZed in
consequence of his being the first to find
the body of Prof Mitchell. And then there
are "Casar's Head" Warrior Bold, Roam
Mountain" "ROund Knob" Kings Mt"
and the Great Smokers" lying of in Ten
nessee. The latter are the scene of an eX-
cellent recent story by Chas. Egbert Grad
dock Miss Murfree). Upon Kings Noun
tain in 1880 the Americans gained hard
fought battle over the British, thereby
breaking CORVALLIS hold in the Carolinas.
Among the mountains of interest near Is
Mt. Pisgah, 5,757 feet high, the highest peak
seen from Asheville, and always pointed
out to the visitor as thing of beauty. 4
symmetrical cone so graceful in outline
that it cannot fail to attract and fascinate
the eve. Near Mt Pisgah are the Rat
and "Santoothn Mts. East of Asheville
is the mountain romantically called Beau
Catcher" a short distance away, the "Iown"
Mt. and legion more, the names OF which
a stranger has not yet learned. These
are by no means only things OF
beauty; they have their material value as
well. Many are covered with woods of
enormous value and great variety, oak,
chestnut, cherry, hemlock, lynn, ash, maple,
walnut, cucumber, hickory and black birch
form a partial list of these woods. The
trees attain such size as almost to equal
the big trees of California. The Balsam,
hardy fir, revels in the higher attitudes and
grows on the lOftiest SUBMITS. The leaves
or needles of the Balsam are now gathered
and made into pillows for inyalids because
Of their supposed curative resinous odor.
These hills are rich too in ores and miner
ais. iron. copper, lead, etc. The mica mines
are the richest in the world. Gold enough
to tempt the miners pick is found occa-
The Golden Leaf tobacco Is on
its native heath here, grows luxuriantly,
and is a most profitable crop. 1t would
seem rather an unsubstantial product, as it
is bought and sold and smoked, not upon
merit but fancy But gentlemen seem to
think there is ''lots in it" in more ways than
one. In proof of this they point to the
two hands0mest homes in the vicinity OF